Wicked: For Good earns a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score that's almost 20% lower than the first movie's

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Wicked: For Good is scoring significantly lower than Wicked: Part One on Rotten Tomatoes

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked: For Good
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Wicked: For Good has earned a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's significantly lower than the first movie.

The musical sequel currently holds a score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 118 reviews ahead of its release later this week. By comparison, 2024's Wicked: Part One has a score of 88% – a drop of 19% in the reception of the two films.

Not everyone was as positive, though. "Ultimately director Jon M. Chu’s more-is-more approach has a numbing effect, the endless spectacle leaving little room for nuance, depth or genuine feeling," reads Screen Daily's review, while The Independent says the movie "has little sense of movement, literally or emotionally – no profound revelations, no wonder or spectacle. All that's to be done now is for each character to process, via standardised ballad, what they've learned."

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to star as Elphaba and Glinda, two unlikely best friends who are forced apart after Elphaba defies the Wizard of Oz's regime and is condemned as the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie adapts the second act of the hit Broadway show and incorporates the events of The Wizard of Oz, too – although Elphaba and Glinda remain the focus of the film.

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

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